Dian Kuswandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 07/14/2010 9:04 AM | People When a glitterati steps into the world of politics, the common reaction he or she might likely receive can be skeptical; “Yeah, right.”Sometimes, it’s even worse.If there’s any of them who has been in one of the worse situations, it’s actress-cum-lawmaker Rieke Diah Pitaloka, whose role as a rather dim housewife in a television sitcom has made her a subject of mockery at the House of Representatives.“During hearings, they still call me ‘Oneng... Oneng’, which I think is not appropriate for formal forums,” says Rieke of the famous character she played in Bajaj Bajuri. “The way they call me, and even look at me is very downgrading – as if I’m o’on [dumb] just because I’m a celebrity.”Rieke, who sits on the House’s commission IX overseeing welfare, admits she has no problem with people calling her “Oneng”, as the public still also often call her with that name. However, she says, it’s the different way the name is addressed that matters.“Many people still call me ‘Oneng ‘too when they see me, but the way they do it is more like they love [the character],” says the 36-year-old politician of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P). On the other hand, “the way those senior politicians from other parties call me is like they’re mocking me. But I told myself not to react; I told myself to prove them wrong —through my work”.It’s indeed difficult to prove her efforts, especially when she’s part of the country’s “celeb-olitics” phenomena, whereby a number of celebrities have stepped out of their glamorous world and into the political arena. While they use their popularity to voice their political views, these glamorous faces are often presumed to be brainless and serve only as “vote magnets” for political parties during elections.“I know people often think that we, celebrities, have joined the House with empty heads,” says the master graduate from University of Indonesia’s School of Philosophy. “I don’t want to comment on other celebrities, but in my case, I didn’t become a House member without a mission.“I’m not the one who went: ‘OK, let’s see what will happen, I can learn first.’ For me, the time I decided to become a House member was the time when I had learned enough and was ready to fight,” she adds.In her fight for laborers — to whom she has chosen to fight for in the House, Rieke, who’s also an activist, admits things have never been smooth. Labor issues, she says, is still far from her Commission’s attention. The deliberation of the domestic worker bill, for example, was again delayed despite the fact it was already listed as one of priorities in the House’s 2010-2015 national legislation programs.“Just earlier this year, the House plenary session ruled out the bill as one of top priorities to be discussed, but just few weeks ago [that decision] was canceled,” reveals Rieke, who’s also the migrant workers ambassador for the International Labor Organization (ILO). “It truly disappoints me and my PDI-P colleagues, as [the party] has been fighting for this bill since 1999,” she adds.Disappointment, indeed, has always been a large part of her struggle at the House, she said, admitting that the thought of quitting politics has crossed her mind.“Being in politics is very hard. It’s very stressful to be involved in never-ending arguments during House sessions — especially when they don’t take a celebrity like me seriously,” says Rieke, who first joined the National Awakening Party (PKB) in 1999 but left in 2008 due to internal conflicts.“During my first month [at the House], I couldn’t sleep at all because of the pressures. I told my husband and my family I wanted to quit,” adds the wife of young philosopher and UI lecturer Donny Gahral Adian.Rieke puts her regained inspiration and courage to a group of abused migrant workers and their families she has met along hr journey in politics. She even keeps their photographs and documents as reminders.“Whenever I feel weak, I look at their pictures for courage,” says Rieke. “Whenever I’m ‘attacked’ during the hearings, I imagine their faces to help speak my mind,” she adds.Rieke’s deep interest in labor issues finds its roots in her father’s experience, who as a lawyer represented a maid who was raped by her employer but was jailed for aborting the child.“When I was a kid, I often accompanied my father to the court, where I witnessed so many injustices,” Rieke says. “I grew up as someone who truly respects human rights and pluralism”.Besides her childhood memories, Rieke also keeps her late mother’s advice as a reminder to keep her on the right track. The advice came years ago when she wanted to quit university because she thought her part-time job as an actress was good enough to support her.“My mother then asked me: ‘What was your goal when you took those acting roles in the first place? Didn’t you want to get money to finance your studies? So why would you want to quit now, when you have all the money you need?’,” recalls Rieke, who started her acting career in junior high school after being spotted by a talent scout in a teen tourism pageant in Garut, West Java. “So, I’ve learned that if you want to step back from what you’re doing, remember your intention; think about why you’re doing, what you’re doing”.So, going back to her first destination in life — which is to contribute to the fight against injustice, Rieke has now committed her life to politics.“I actually enjoy both worlds — entertainment and politics,” says the writer of Kekerasan Negara Menular ke Masyarakat (State Violence Spreads in Society).“But, I have made my decision; I’m 35 — it’s time to realize my dream in politics and leave my entertainment world behind.”http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/07/14/rieke-diah-pitaloka-the-good-cause-%E2%80%98celebolitics%E2%80%99.html

Dian Kuswandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The black butterfly, as soul singer Ledisi Young refers to herself, was once blown in with some faraway dust, having lost her way and waiting for someone, anyone, to find her. "It was in 2004 and I was going through a rough time, sleeping on an apartment floor in New York City at the lowest low point in my career," she says. She was writing and recording songs, but had no idea where the money would come from to pay for it all. "I was not even signed to any major label," says Ledisi, who at that time was an underground artist with two independent albums. "I was broke and not happy for not knowing what to do." Ledisi, born in New Orleans in a year she refuses to disclose, says she came close to giving up music because of her disappointment with the way the business wouldn't allow her to be herself. However, she decided to hang on, telling herself, "OK, I'm going to be myself on this album. I'm not going to change who I am to fit the market." She says believed in her heart that there was a lane for her to be in, and that would be her own lane. "So I thought ‘I have to do it or won't do it at all'. And when I decided to do it, everything started to happen; all the great things started to come." Ledisi's "lane" finally brought her to a subsidiary of Verve Records, which gave her a chance to sing a cover version of Luther Vandross' "My Sensitivity (Gets in the Way)". The song was part of an all-star tribute compilation to the legendary crooner, Forever, For Always, For Luther. Her small part on the album caught people's attention, making them sit up and listen. Composer Rex Rideout, who produced Ledisi's Vandross cover, admitted he was floored by her. "Watching her in the studio is like watching a performance. There's a whole lot of music in this woman," Rideout testifies. "I told Verve, ‘Ledisi will be legendary. It's her time.'" Verve, which had neglected Ledisi until then, reconsidered her talent, although it was another two years until Ledisi brought out her 2007 album Lost and Found, which tells inspiring stories of the ups and downs in her musical journey. Those two years of patience in making the album turned out to have been well spent, when she was nominated for the 2007 Grammy awards for Best R&B Album and Best New Artist. And that was the moment when Ledisi proved to everyone that being true to yourself can make you larger than life. "In the past, I kept telling myself: ‘It's not how fast you win the race, but it's about what you learn along the way. I'm gonna win because I maintain being myself.'" Being thrust into the limelight with her Grammy nominations, Ledisi had people wondering "Where has this wonderful talent been all this time?" Many were surprised to learn that Ledisi already had two albums recorded independently under her own minor label LeSun Records: Soulsinger: The Revival and Feeling Orange But Sometimes Blue, recorded in 2000 and 2002, respectively. She and friend Sundra Manning set up LeSun to produce her own albums not because she was rolling in money, but because Ledisi had decided to stay underground because major labels kept rejecting her demos. After years of frequent performances and building her underground base, Ledisi decided to take a further leap by trying her luck in the Big Apple: Being independent was all very well but "I wanted a wider audience to hear and appreciate my older recordings". Her determination has paid off, as her talent has secured her a place of her own in the music industry. Wherever she goes, she wows audiences with her big, expressive voice that comes with her R&B, jazz and gospel-influenced musical style. Her recent show in Jakarta, part of the Axis Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival, showed the audience the true Ledisi, as she looked so comfortable and engaged with the audience so well that they felt they had known her forever. "It has been the best moment in my life . to get on stage and know that I belong there," she says. "And it doesn't matter how many in the audience that you have - five or 5,000. I get nervous but feel that I belong. I didn't have that a long time ago." Having audiences enjoy her performances was enough for Ledisi, but destiny seemed to have more in store for her: She landed a role in the George Clooney film Leatherheads and sang a song for Tyler Perry's Meet The Browns. "My life now is bigger than what I dreamed," Ledisi says, all smiles. "Now I know it's impossible for me to live without music. "And through my music, I want to ignite people to do their best all their time, telling them not to give up on their dreams, no matter what." We know what she's talking about. Once lost, Ledisi was then found, turning herself into a beautiful black butterfly. In her own words, "Now ... watch this black butterfly soar." http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/03/28/ledisi-lost-found-and-soaring-high.html

Dian Kuswandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Thu, 09/02/2010 8:54 AM | PeopleMardigu Wowiek Prasantyo is like everyone’s best friend: The police, private companies, celebrities or drug addicts will all come knocking on his door for help when they’re in trouble.

The police might call him a forensic hypnosis investigator; the media might label him a terrorism expert. The public, however, simply knows him as a hypnotherapist. And that job title best sums up his ability to do many things — from untangling terrorism cases and helping companies keep their employee’s loyalty, to freeing people from the shackles of certain addictions. “People began to see this profession with respect, and it’s such a blessing to me,” says the 44 year old, who founded the country’s first hypnosis school — the Hypnosis Training Institute of Indonesia (HTII) in 2004. “Hypnosis used to be associated with black magic, but now people have a better understanding of it.” Having dedicated himself to hypnosis for nearly 20 years, Mardigu stole the media’s attention four years ago, when he helped the National Police’s investigation into al-Qaeda-linked terror network Jemaah Islamiyah. At that time, he put his talents to work with several big terror suspects. Thanks to his friendly approach, and his charming personality, the suspects didn’t realize Mardigu was actually “interrogating” and hypnotizing them. “I ‘dissected’ their minds. I used this technique called ‘age regression’, where I took them back into their past. From there, I got to know their [personal] backgrounds and what they had done in life,” says the psychology graduate of San Francisco State University in the US. As a result, he adds, “we succeeded in digging up some major information about terrorist networks — how they recruit members; their missions and targets and other things that led us to more people.”This experience led him to carry out more research on terror suspects through his institute’s Narapatih research center. He has already dealt with more than 400 terror suspects — not only raking up information but also de-radicalizing them. Dealing with terrorists, and even living his life as a hypnotherapist, had never been Mardigu’s dream. When he left Jakarta in 1985 for California, all he wanted was to specialize in business psychology. When he took the advanced and applied psychology class, however, he was introduced to hypnosis and this short encounter enticed him to study more about it. “As a psychologist, you deal with many cases — violence, phobias, mental breakdown, depression — you name it. The first time I practiced hypnosis, I was amazed I could actually handle the cases faster and more effectively, compared to when I used old psychology methods, which usually take a long time,” says Mardigu. “I told myself I should master this discipline, but I found the ‘academic language’ used in the class too complex.”So, after graduating from the university in 1990, he went to the famous Hypnotherapy Training Institute in Corte Madera to learn hypnosis the more straightforward way. There, he obtained his master’s degree in clinical hypnotherapy and kicked off his career as a hypnotherapist. Throughout his career, Mardigu dealt with people from all walks of life — celebrities wanting to curb their shopping addiction, food lovers wishing to be slimmer and company leaders losing sleep over low profits or employee exodus.“Once, a company hired me because they had such a high turnover rate of employees. Imagine: they had recruited 100 people, but within six months, all but three of them had left the company,” he recalls. “The boss believed his employees had lost their motivation and fighting spirit. So after the next intake, he asked his new employees to see me.” “What I did was carry out this ‘inception’ process, where I re-programmed their minds,” he says. “I got rid off all of their fears, worries and laziness. I planted suggestive words into their minds like: ‘you want the best for your family, so you need to perform your best at work’ and ‘you want to be happy in life; and to be happy with your career’.”After that session, Mardigu says, the employees returned to work feeling good and in high spirit. The word spread, and he started to gain recognition in the business world. He recalls a TV station hiring him in 2005 because ad sales were low. He performed hypnosis on the company’s 70 marketing staff members, and within one year, he claims the company was able to raise ads sales by 70 percent. “I also performed hypnosis on the station’s staff members in the creative division — I helped them become more creative when making shows.” But not all his stories have a happy ending. When he helped tsunami victims in Aceh for example, some religious figures accused him of practicing black magic.“At that time, we didn’t have enough anesthetic drugs that the doctors needed to carry out some surgical procedures,” Mardigu recalls. “I ended up hypnotizing the victims so they wouldn’t feel the pain. But some religious figures thought I was using genies and demanded I stop.”In 1999, when the National Narcotics Agency hadn’t been established yet, Mardigu carried out hypnosis to help drug addicts. “Around 2 to 3 million Indonesians suffered from drug addiction, and I really thought that would destroy Indonesia,” says the father of three. “I was very obsessed with fighting against drugs, so I carried out a series of hypnosis sessions on drug addicts.”As his sessions brought about positive results, drug mafias started threatening him, demanding he close his practice. “I lost count of the number of times they threatened me holding a gun to my head, but I continued running my practice anyway,” he says. And then the unbelievable happened: one of his therapists was shot dead one day. “So what else could I do? I finally decided to close my practice.”http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/09/02/mardigu-wowiek-prasantyo-under-his-spell.html

Dian Kuswandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sat, 01/23/2010 12:47 PM | LifeBetween Los Angeles and London, television presenter Cat Deeley travels with a suitcase full of passion, spreading the spirit of the American dream of success and fame - through thrift and hardwork. Now the real deal behind America's favorite reality show So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD), Deeley greets audiences each week with her charming Birmingham accent, proving that a British girl could actually storm the American TV industry. "I feel a bit lucky," Deeley talked with The Jakarta Post over the phone from London. "I mean they might go, “Okay, you're a crazy English...' But it works for the show, it works for the audience," she laughed. Of course, the show's enthusiasts know it very well - it's not just her accent or innate confidence that distinguishes her from her American TV hosts. It's her genuine people skills, warm and bubbly personality that make her appear irresistible to anyone. She always shows a sincere interest in each of the contestants - defending them from harsh criticism, while at the same time being witty with judges without sounding like a jerk. "I'm a comforter, a cheerleader," said the 33-year-old blondie describing the role she plays in the show. "(I'm) their biggest fan - that's my job," she added. And when it comes to hosting, Deeley has more in her that makes her shine: she enjoyably plays the antithesis of most presenters on American TV, who sometimes appear robotic like those Stepford Wives. "I think I'm maybe a bit ‘more real' than your typical American host," said the ex-model who was born with the full name Catherine Elizabeth Deeley. Deeley is all about being natural when hosting the show. She still sprinkles her sentences with "darlings" and "sweeties", something that characterizes a Brummie - or a native of Birmingham. "What you ideally want is to be smart and intelligent and bubbly and bright," she said. "No one wants someone super-intelligent and boring." Being smart and bright - and attractive too - were traits Deeley inherited a long time ago. When she was young, she knew she had a passion for the entertainment world, but she decided to complete her education first - with flying colors. So, after entering a modeling competition at the age of 14 and doing some modelling work for a while, Deeley went back to school and pushed herself to gain four A-levels in history, English literature, general studies and mathematics. "I did well at school, and really enjoyed it," she said. "Quite often, anything to do with the entertainment business is incredibly unstable. And so I wanted to get an education first." And she until today still holds onto to this belief, as she always advises teenagers who dream of becoming entertainers to finish school first. When we leave school, she said, "we might not end up using Pythagoras' theorem ever again, or have to name all of Henry VIII's wives." "But I know when I go into a meeting, I am taken seriously. People can't just dismiss me because I have no education and that's very important." Her witty personality was later recognized when she decided to take a break from the modelling and tried her luck as a TV presenter. "I saw a casting on MTV and that was how I started," she said of the time she submitted a home-made audition video for MTV UK. "You know, that (hosting) was something I’d always wanted to do when I was a little girl," she added. She had no expectations in this new arena at all, she said. But her passion and dream led her to win the audition and host MTV programs. She later received more offers, including hosting for children TV show SM:TV, in which she partnered with duo musicians Ant and Dec from 1998-2002. That is when she developed her funny and motherly-like personality. Her winning appearance in the show also led her to several local awards and more prestigious offers, like the famous music program CD:UK, Fame Academy and Stars in Their Eyes. She then met Nigel Lythgoe, who later became one of the judges in the SYTYCD. And three years ago, Nigel finally offered her a big break in the US, asking her to replace the original SYTYCD presenter. "After its first season, the host was pregnant so couldn't come back and do the second season," Deeley recalled. "So, Nigel said to me, ‘Look, I've got this show, I think you'd be perfect for it'." So there she went, off the US, after breaking up with her longtime boyfriend Mark Whelan, a PR executive, for the sake of her career. "Why not give (the offer) a go and see what happens; push myself a little," said Deeley, who's now dating actor Jack Huston. "We all do it. My way was getting on a plane and going to America." And she made the right decision. Deeley has stayed in the show for six seasons. Even better, now she's returning home to host the British version of the show this year for BBC, joining the ranks of those trans-Atlantic commuters who fly to London on Thursdays and return to Los Angeles on Sundays. Tired? Definitely. But, she said, "I must not grumble. Dunkirk spirit and all that. I love my job." After all, Deeley went on, the show, which has now been made in many versions in Greece, Australia and Poland, somehow reflects the same spirit she had when pursuing her dreams. "You know, it's amazing for me to find out that they (the contestants) become dancers not to become famous or not for money, but they actually do it because they love it," she said. "And I think that's one thing you have to be passionate about. You know, make the best of it, make it your career." And for her, the show also proves the American dream is absolutely alive and kicking. "That's what I like about the show, it proves you can come from any background, any race, religion, color, creed. It doesn't matter," she said. "As long as you have talent and you're prepared to work and you can be anything you want to be ..." So, Miss Deeley, now that you have achieved your own version of the American dream, tell us: which do you love more - a career in London or in LA? "Owww... that's a difficult one!" she laughed. "I love the lifestyle in LA, and definitely, I love the sunshine and the palm trees..." she paused and continued, "but I think I have to say I love London more... because that's where my home, my family and my friends... You see the Thames river, St. Pauls, the London Eye and so on, and it's ‘Oh, I'm back!' "It's like when you come back from holiday - you know you have had a great time, but you're coming home." Watch the premier episode of So You Think You Can Dance on Jan. 25th 2010 on AXN.http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/01/23/cat-deeley-living-american-dream.html

Dian Kuswandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 06/11/2010 8:56 AM | People Who would agree to get paid in BlackBerrys instead of a suitcase full of cash for a recording contract? The Dance Company. Those who haven’t heard about them yet might wonder — with just a BlackBerry for each member, does the band belong to a breed of new talent willing to do anything to release a record? Well, nope. In fact, they are four famous vocalists coming together for the sake of fun, fun and fun. “Seriously, all we got from our record deal is these BlackBerrys,” said Pongki Tri Barata, originally the vocalist of pop band Jikustik and now The Dance Company’s bassist. “We just want to have some fun; we don’t do this for the money. So, to prove it, when the recording company asked us how much we would ask [for the deal], we said we wanted stuff, not money. “We thought they would give us a laptop each, but it was a BlackBerry instead. Well, that’s OK,” he laughed. The other members — singers Ariyo Wahab (the band’s vocalist), Baim (guitarist) and Nugie (drummer) — shared Pongki’s laughter as they recalled that moment last year. “Of course, we still get money, but not from the deal,” Ariyo said, trying to look serious but failing. “Our fee is Rp 50 million [US$5,400] per show — that’s how we make money,” he added.Seriously?“No joking,” Pongki giggled. Well, joking or not, the band is convinced it’s one of a kind in the local music industry. Apart from playing fun rollicking music, they are first and foremost a drama band, in which all of them play their own character — pretty much like the Spice Girls. Each member of The Dance Company is represented by a color that describes his personality, and will dress according to his color. They do not use their stage names, but nicknames instead. Nugie, or Embot, 39, for example, who is famous as a musician with songs about nature and the environment, is represented by the color green. Pongki, or Wega, 33, on the other hand, always dresses in purple, which represents his creative and spiritual character. Ariyo, or Riyo, 36, wears a touch of red, as he’s somewhat outspoken, while Baim, or Bebe, 35, wears orange because of his enthusiastic character. “While offering something fresh to the public, this band also accommodates our different sides,” said Pongki, presenter Sophie Navita’s husband. “When we’re with our own bands or perform alone, we don’t get all this freedom to dress up, sing a certain type of music and express our characters, but in The Dance Company, we’re allowed to be whatever character we want.” “Yes,” Baim, the former lead vocal of the Ada Band said. “The difference between The Dance Company and other bands is that, while the others are doing sound checks, we would be busy dressing up in our respective characters,” laughed the husband of Puteri Indonesia winner Artika Sari Devi. And underneath it all, Pongki went on, “for us, it’s all about having fun and spreading the fun to others”.The band therefore created songs with catchy music and funny lyrics. Their two singles — Coba Kau Bayangkan (Imagine) and Papa Rock ‘n Roll show the real them, with the last song grabbing people’s attention with its famous line: “Papa nggak pulang baby, papa ngga bawa uang baby.” (“Papa isn’t coming home, baby, papa isn’t bringing any money, baby.”)“For this project, we don’t want to play serious music. We’re just papas trying to get some money for our families,” said Ariyo, giggling. “If they want something serious from us, just check us out performing solo or in our [real] bands,” he added. So, we know that all of them are vocalists. Was it hard for them to decide who would be The Dance Company’s lead vocal?“No, we all agreed from the beginning that Ariyo would be the perfect lead,” said Pongki. “Just look at him — he’s the cutest among us. He can really drive girls crazy,” he added, greeted by laughter from the rest of gang. So far, the four guys admitted, they have had a lot of fun — and money, as they put it. “We are thankful we have had so many offers,” Pongki said “We are very busy at the moment — just like our lyric says — ‘papa isn’t coming home, baby’. I hope our wives and children don’t miss us,” he laughed. And, thanks to their uniqueness, the band received several film offers, which they turned down in the end, for good reasons. “All of them were … sorry to say … so corny,” Pongki said. “They wanted us to play in movies with titles like Kutang [Bra], Tali Pocong [The Corpse’s Rope] and so on. We’d rather not.“You know, when the movies came out, we were thankful we hadn’t played in them.”For The Dance Company, not all offers should be accepted — no matter how much money they offer. “We don’t say yes to all offers. We only accept an offer if all of us agree on it,” Nugie said. “If one of us doesn’t agree, then we won’t take it.”Being one voice, however, isn’t the only one of the band’s basic rules. “Our other principle is that first we have to feel happy about everything we do,” Pongki said. “I mean, we’ve all been in bands, so we are well aware there are times when we all get sick and tired of each other. We try to avoid that situation, that’s why we decided for this project, to just have fun.” After all, Pongki enthusiastically continued, “this is our first-ever rebellion … just being whatever we want to be in [the] music [industry]!”http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/06/11/the-dance-company-the-rock-%E2%80%98n-roll-papas.html

Dian Kuswandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 08/25/2010 10:17 AM | PeopleAvip Priatna chased his dream to become an architect only to find out music was his destiny.Known as one of the most acclaimed Indonesian music conductors today, Avip changed his life plan while he was studying architecture at Parahyangan Catholic University in Bandung, West Java. At that time, as a member of the university choir who had been in many competitions, Avip realized the country was blessed with many talented individuals — but few had received any recognition. “To become a conductor wasn’t actually my goal or anything — all I wanted was to capture the talent of these individuals through music and provide them with a place to grow,” says the 46-year-old founder of the Jakarta Chamber Orchestra and Batavia Madrigal Singers choir. “So, I told myself: OK, I have to do something; I have to leave [the country] to study music and return to Indonesia to develop the music scene.”In the late 1980s, Avip packed his suitcase for Austria to study choral and orchestral conducting at the Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, under a scholarship from the Austrian Government and the Rotary Club. Luckily, his parents supported his bold career change. “My parents didn’t actually agree with [the idea of] pursuing a formal education in music because music education in Indonesia — at that time — wasn’t that good,” says Avip, who learned to play piano at the age of nine and further honed his talent with respected musical figures like Rosaline Tambunan, Oerip Santoso, and Trisutji Kamal. “But because I had already completed my degree in architecture and I was heading to Austria to study, my parents were like, ‘OK, it’s up to you now.’ “So, I fought for my dream [to study music], and worked hard [to get the scholarship to Austria].”For Avip, the sound of magical music will always linger in people’s minds — and that’s how he feels about orchestra performances he chose to dedicate his life to.“I am particularly fond of orchestra performances because unlike solo performances, they emphazise the unity of harmonious melodies,” says Avip. “I found my passion in conducting an orchestra after realizing I loved the feeling of being connected to this kind of musical unity.”In 1995, after six years of studying choral and orchestral conducting with famous conductors like Günther Theuring and Leopold Hager, Avip enrolled in a master’s in choir conducting with a scholarship from Parahyangan Catholic University. Before returning to Indonesia, Avip was lucky enough to become the assistant of the Vienna Youth Choir, a member of the Wiener Singverein — a choir founded in 1858 in Vienna by the Society of Music Friends — and the Wiener Hochschule Kammerchor.“When I returned to Indonesia in 1999, several orchestras had already been established like the Twilite Orchestra — but they play more popular music,” Avip recalls. “My dream was to establish an orchestra with a [Western] classical repertoire, so I founded the Jakarta Chamber.”When he established the Jakarta Chamber Orchestra (JCO) with academician Toety Heraty in 2002, Avip’s mission was to bring the orchestral tradition closer to the public, while at the same time providing a place for talented musicians to grow. Today, along with the Batavia Madrigal Singers choir Avip established in 1996, the ensemble has become the pride of Jakarta.“I always tell people that orchestral music is more than entertainment — it’s educational,” says Avip, who was appointed as a judge for several international orchestra competitions. “Orchestral music is all about discipline, commitment and focus. You can learn a lot from watching an orchestra perform.”Bringing the orchestral tradition in the limelight has never been an easy task for Avip — given Western classical music isn’t popular in Indonesia. Realizing this, Avip, who at first was determined to stick to classical repertoires, finally decided to loosen up a bit and find ways to carry out his vision.“Well, I realized our society wasn’t ready yet for some serious music, I had to be [a little more] realistic,” confesses Avip. “So, I decided to mix serious performances with not so serious ones.“It’s [what I call] the art of making a performance more attractive [to the masses]. I just want [orchestra music] to be accepted by the public first.”Although he acknowledges there is still a long way to go before conductors like him bring the culture of orchestra to a new height in a country like Indonesia, Avip believes progress is underway.“Actually, Indonesians, by nature, love music. So, there’s still room for development,” says Avip. “You’ve probably noticed that the number of orchestra performances nowadays has increased, compared to the 1980s.“The public can now choose what orchestra performance to watch each month… Even I have to admit that we, ensemble groups, now have to compete to win audiences,” he laughs.http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/08/25/avip-priatna-between-notes.html

Dian Kuswandini, The Jakarta Post, Bali | Wed, 12/16/2009 11:02 AM | LifeBe it for runways or red carpets, veteran hair stylist Sam McKnight has to make sure he crowns his top models and celebrity clients with hair styles that dazzle the crowd and make cameras fall in love with them. Listing all of Scotland-born hair stylist’s famous clients would simply take a lifetime. Nicole Kidman and Cate Blanchett? Check. Madonna and Kylie Minogue? Check. Kate Moss and Gisele Bundchen? Check. Not to mention the new sensation Lady Gaga and others on the A-list such as Drew Barrymore, Uma Thurman, Elizabeth Hurley, Naomi Campbell and Linda Evangelista. In fact, even the late Princess Diana was known for kidnapping him on her frequent trips around the world to make sure she had the most unforgettable, dramatic hairdo. Yes, with a solid career spanning more than three decades, there is no doubt many public figures and Hollywood stars, as well as designers and photographers worldwide, have loved and respected Mc-Knight. Working with top designers and fashion houses like Prada, Chanel, Gucci, Ralph Lauren, Giorgio Armani, Christian Dior, Dolce&Gabanna, Chloë, Vivienne Westwood, Stella McCartney and Paul Smith, McKnight has surely secured his place among the crème de la crème of celebrities. “I fell in love with hairdressing because I think hairdressing is the key to the world of glamor,” Mc-Knight said at the sidelines of P&G Beautisphere event in Bali recently. “It’s the key to beautiful places; the key to beautiful things.” McKnight’s embraced this profession at a very young age. When he turned 19, he worked at several hair salons in his homeland and had his first encounter with celebrities when he tried his luck in salons in England.“And then I suddenly got to work with many of them [celebrities],” he recalled. “From them, I was introduced to Vogue [magazine] in the 1970s.” “I think that was how my career began. It grew from there,” he added. Indeed. It was his first collaboration with Vogue in 1978 that later led him to hundreds of Vogue covers and stories, as well as other international publications. With the arrival of supermodels in the 80s, McKnight’s reputation among famous people continued to grow. His groundbreaking collaborations with designers and photographers marked the beginning of his remarkable career as a “session stylist” – a top job in the hairdressing industry that deals with fashion parades, magazine editorial shoots, advertising campaigns, music videos and films. “I never get bored and I love what I do… creating beautiful hair, regardless of the occasion,” McKnight remarked. While he merely sees himself as the creator of beautiful-looking hair, others in the fashion and entertainment industries consider him as the founder of a new wave of hairstyling. And for his role in defining our attitudes towards beauty and hairstyling, McKnight has been honored with many awards, including the British Session Hairdresser of the Year and Gillette’s Venus Awards in Paris and New York three times in a row in the 1990s. In 2002, McKnight was also named Best Session Hairdresser in the UK Elle Style Awards. So, given all this recognition for his inspiring work, how does the maestro of hairstyles inspire trends through famous people? McKnight remained humble when addressing the question, saying he didn’t work alone. “We’re lucky enough to work with the best designers in the world and the best models, and then create trends at the shows,” he said. “You see, runaway looks are for inspiration, so we hope people will get ideas from them and apply them to their day-to-day hairstyles.” McKnight was indeed successful in this case, as his role was pivotal in creating Evangelista’s, Campbell’s, Moss’, Bundchen’s and Lady Di’s images – all of whom are part of the iconography of fashion history. “My styles match their characters, not the other way around,” McKnight said. But, he went on, “I love to keep it natural.” Of course, as he pointed out, having that “natural look” doesn’t mean it has to be, well, natural. As someone who works with many celebrities with all kinds of characters, McKnight also plays with wigs to create those sexy, modern, glamorous looks. “I love to play around, you know,” McKnight said, naming Lady Gaga as one of his clients who ended up wearing a selection of wigs. The singer, he said, once swapped her concert tickets with him to get a pink wig she used in a Vogue photo shoot in October. “Lady Gaga… she can be red [haired] in the morning, and black at night. She can appear with short or long hair. But no matter what, she always looks fabulous!” Well, he can make any fashion judgment he wants – many people will agree with him anyway. And for this particular “privilege”, McKnight was chosen as the Global Ambassador for haircare brand Pantene, a title he has been holding for six years now, bringing his international reputation to a new level. But do these new duties mean he only appears at beauty talks, or attends beauty events across the world? Of course not. “I get to work on lots of products before they hit the shelves,” Mc-Knight said. “We have regular meetings to discuss what I need from a product and we try to meet my needs and yours [customers],” he added. This, McKnight said, meant he partnered with the brand’s scientists to create solutions that keep pace not only with the wants of models and celebrities he knew, but also with thousands of women who used the products every day. “After all, everyone deserves great hair,” he said. So Mr McKnight, talking about great hair, please be honest: Do models and celebrities you work with really have shiny, beautiful hair, or was it you who made it happen? “Oh… of course I was the one who made it that way,” McKnight answered, laughing.''

Dian Kuswandini, The Jakarta Post, Bali | Sat, 01/16/2010 12:46 PM | Life As one of Hollywood's makeup aficionados, Bruce Grayson certainly knows the secrets of perfectly covering imperfections, picking the right makeup colors and making clients' faces sparkle. As his kabuki brush swung, bent and curled at the model's flawless face, Grayson seemed to show everyone in the workshop that morning that he was doing more than just playing with cosmetics - he convinced them that he was actually creating high art. "There's no right or wrong about makeup," he said after the workshop, which was part of P&G's Beautisphere event recently in Bali. "Makeup is like painting skin. Painters don't have rules or laws. It's what works for them," added the brand ambassador for P&G's skincare Olay. So when it comes to his own brushwork, Grayson, who is behind many celebrities' dazzling looks, plays freely with his imagination. He captures all beautiful elements around him - from the urban jungle of New York to the exotic Bali. "This once happened to me - I was driving down the street in New York and saw beautiful makeup on a woman," he said. "I asked the taxi driver to go around that block so I could see that woman again. I wanted to capture (her look). So I said: ‘No. no. turn around! We gotta come back!'" Capturing one's look might sound easy, but to make imagination a reality is a challenge especially when you have famous celebrities and public figures as your "canvas". And Grayson knows this very well that he has to fit his fancy imagination with his clients' satisfaction and self-confidence. "These (celebrities) are brands," said the head of makeup department at the prestigious Academy Awards and Emmy Awards. "I might take one or two elements to make them look on trend. make them look hip and modern. but I can't change them so much and take them out of who they are. It's important for them to look good in their own brands." Grayson's clients include former president Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, Brooke Shields and Richard Gere. But making these people look good is not enough. In fact, Grayson does more than just fixing foundation mishaps - he's always trapped in situations where he has to fix these people's moods. "It's not always about makeup when you work for fashion shows or red carpets," he said. "It's also about making your clients comfortable and feel as good as they can possibly feel." Being celebrities or supermodels, Grayson went on, "is both a blessing and a curse because people look at you all the time - and that's very stressful". "We, makeup artists, have to help them get over their fears. so we're like ‘psychologists' to them." And it's not only recently that Grayson realized this "extra duty". An early bloomer, he began to understand celebrities and the entertainment business at the tender age of 11. At that age, he already loved to tag along his father Dave Grayson, a top Hollywood makeup artist, who was responsible for many television productions. This exposed him to the art of beauty makeup and later led him to a passion for the art when he helped his father perform his magic on celebrities like John Wayne and Kirk Douglas. He grew up considering celebrities not as stars, but as family - and this helped him a lot in pursuing his dream as a makeup artist. "Having a father working for celebrities is probably a gift because most people freeze when they deal with celebrities," said Grayson, who was born and raised in Los Angeles, and is married to a TV writer. "But I don't freeze - they're people like everybody else." After graduating from Hollywood High School, Grayson continued studying at several schools and a makeup academy. He apprenticed several top makeup artists before landing on a prestigious job as the head of the makeup department at NBC. "I had three different educations. I spent six years in school before becoming a real makeup artist," he said. "Well. now people do it in six months, though," he sighed. This instant makeup education disappoints him. "I think it takes a lifetime to learn about makeup," Grayson said. For example, he reasoned, "It's so hard for uneducated eyes to see the differences in skin tones. Just in yellow-based skin, there are medium yellow; dark medium yellow; dark-dark medium yellow and yellow." "It takes years to educate those kinds of eyes." Another disappointment, Grayson said, was to learn that today's makeup artists are so heavily dependent on digital retouching when they work for printed media and advertisements. "I think the makeup artists today don't really learn as much as I know and do because the digital industry makes them lazy. "They know whatever mistakes they make can be corrected in digital photography. I think that's a shame." Grayson has been very critical about his own work. "I think any good artists have to be highly critical of their own work. And I don't mind working with people who are picky and have a high level of excellence, because they make me become professional and self-critical." Being self-critical, he pointed out, also means he must learn from other makeup artists. The world of makeup artists, after all, he said, was about sharing and giving ideas. "We're a small community. A lot of us know each other - we admire each other's work. If we don't know each other, we see each other's works in magazines or on red carpets. "That's how we are inspired by each other," said Grayson, who admires Hollywood makeup genius Pat McGrath, who's also P&G's makeup expert. So, does he only get inspiration from makeup artists that are on the same level as him? "Well, I'm mentoring young makeup artists, but on the other side of the coin, I've also received some great inspiration and techniques from them." And this way, he said, he could continue learning from as many makeup artists as possible. "You know, as a makeup artist, you don't stop learning," Grayson said. "The minute you stop learning is the minute you should throw away your brushes."http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/01/16/bruce-grayson-beyond-fancy-brushwork.html

Dian Kuswandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 08/20/2010 9:03 AM | People If there is one thing actress Peggy Melati Sukma will be remembered for, it will most likely be her trademark squeal “Pusiiiiiiiing” (“I’m dizzy”), which she patented eight years ago.The squeal she made famous when acting in soap opera Gerhana (The Eclipse) will also bring to mind the verbose way she introduced herself in the series: “My name is Peggy Melati Sukma Harum Mewangi Sepanjang Hari” (the all-day-long flowery-scented Peggy).Ten years have passed since she first played the series’ “drama queen”, and although her popularity has not waned, the 34-year-old Cirebon-born model has decided to stay out of the limelight.“My focus changed over the last three years, after my marriage,” says Peggy, who in early 2007 tied the knot with Wisnu Tjandra, now vice president director for Bank Artha Graha Internasional. “I decided to concentrate on social activities, because I thought 15 years in the entertainment industry was more than enough for me.” In the last 15 years, Peggy tried everything from modeling and acting to TV hosting and singing — and received several awards too. She even left her mark on the industry when she became the first celebrity to secure exclusive rights from the Justice and Human Rights Ministry for her distinctive yelp “Pusiiiiiiiing” — a legal move she felt compelled to make after people laid claim to her squeal. So, after experiencing the hustle bustle of the celebrity world, Peggy settled down by getting involved in more socially oriented activities.“There are times in your life when you want to grow, reach a higher level and be more mature,” says the finalist of Aneka Yess! magazine’s cover-girl contest in 1995. “I went through such times, and tried to rediscover who I really was. After much thought, I decided to move on and pursue my desire to be a social activist.”As a social activist, Peggy is now busy working for several foundations and organizations. At the international level, she’s the chairwoman of Arts by Children (ABC) Foundation, a German-based organization focusing on educational and arts projects for children in needs from across the world. Her job, which consists of organizing cultural events in the UK, Indonesia, Bangladesh and African countries, is challenging. Last year in London, her organization held the World Children Congress and a fund-raising concert titled “Voices for a Better World”, which brought together 6,000 children.Meanwhile, at the local level, Peggy has embraced social work in the field, distributing milk, vitamin tablets and mung beans to children living in slum areas in Greater Jakarta — a weekly activity she carries out collaborating with a food company.“I don’t think many people pay enough attention to children’s issues,” she says of the motivation behind her involvement in this field.Peggy is also engaged in campaigns related to cultural heritage. Under Prima Ardian Tana Foundation, where she sits as the program coordinator, fundraiser and spokesperson, Peggy has participated in the restoration of Cirebon palace’s heritage and a campaign on Indonesian traditional masks. This year, the foundation is holding the country’s biggest mask festival, promoting traditional mask art and performances in a three-month-long celebration.“We’ve been looking for inspiring ways to bring the forgotten traditional masks closer to the public,” says the actress, whose real name is Raden Peggy Melati Purnamadewi Sukma. “Holding a festival is one way of doing that, but of course, in a long run, we aim to include this as a subject in school curriculum, so the younger generation can learn about this heritage.”The organization has also kick started an archiving project to document traditional masks from across archipelago, and will publish a book to preserve this legacy, she adds.Social activism isn’t exactly novelty for Peggy. Back in 1998, her and her celebrity friends established Cinta Kita Foundation, which provides informal education classes for children from low-income families. The work she carried out through this foundation led her to become the Research and Technology Ministry’s envoy in 2002 and the National Education Ministry’s ambassador for non-formal education in 2006.“If there’s anything I can do for the country, then I will go for it,” says the 1998 graduate from University of Indonesia’s department of communications.Although Peggy mentions the word “anything”, she makes it clear her commitment to the country doesn’t include political activities.“Politics? No way,” she laughs. “For the last five years, I’ve been receiving offers from political parties and figures [to get involved in politics], but I have said no to all of them. What can I say? I have absolutely no interest in politics.” Peggy wants to be known as someone living her life in three arenas.“My professional life revolves around entertainment, social and business activities,” says Peggy, who’s planning to further her education in intelligence studies. “My priorities might change over one another, but [my professional life] will always be in these three areas.”http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/08/20/peggy-melati-sukma-in-transition.html

Dian Kuswandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 01/27/2010 3:37 PM | Life Have you ever heard the old adage "every failure is a blessing in disguise"? Well, new pop sensation Vidi Aldiano is definitely the embodiment of those words of wisdom. After being rejected from as many as six big recording companies, Vidi finally hit the jackpot when he decided to take a different path, releasing his own album - independently. "People who believe I became popular instantly are so wrong," said the 20-year-old singer whose real name is Oxavia Aldiano. "The truth is, it took me around three years to become famous," he added. Vidi doesn't blame people for getting the wrong idea about him. After all, it's true he shot to stardom in a relatively short period of time after releasing his debut single "Nuansa Bening". "Just a few weeks after the song was aired on radio stations, I started to be noticed," said Vidi, who just received an MTV award last year. "It all came all of a sudden - and shocked me," he giggled. Before that, he recalled, he kept on hitting a brick wall when sending his demo tapes. One might think that his father, a renowned event organizer with a wide network in showbiz, would have opened a few doors for him - however that was not the case. "I did help send my son's demo tapes to some producers I know," said Vidi's father Harry Kiss. "But none of them were successful. They told me: *The trend now is bands, not solo artists. If your son was in a band, perhaps we would reconsider our decision.'" Harry, however, believed in his son's talent, and didn't think he should sacrifice that much for the sake of popularity. And Vidi believed it was only a question of time before an opportunity popped up. The opportunity finally materialized last year, when Vidi left music producer Lala Hamid stunned as he sang a number of songs before her. In a firm belief that Vidi could be the next "idol", Lala decided to produce Vidi's singles, which were later released under a small label. And the rest is history - Vidi is suddenly everywhere on stages and TV stations - as we have witnessed now. He has amazed everyone with his super fine and unique voice. Six rejections don't seem to mean anything to him at the end of the day. In fact, he admitted he could only thank all those who pushed him back for putting him in the right spot at the right moment, when there weren't many young male solo artists in the country's music industry. Vidi's biggest rival, perhaps, is Afgan Syahreza, who rose to fame just a few months before him. "I can't say whether (he's my) rival or not," he said. "We're just in different (music) genres," he added, referring to his energetic, more upbeat songs, compared to Afgan's mellow ballads. With his music, Vidi has managed to embrace fans from different age groups - young and old. His second single "Status Palsu" (Fake Status), for instance, has stolen the hearts of many young listeners. Vidi said he never tried to be the best - he loves to perform simply because he has always enjoyed singing since he was a kid. His mother, in fact, is a music teacher, so Vidi was exposed to music at a young age. "Believe it or not, Vidi was familiar with musical notes before he could read the alphabet," Harry said, laughing. "When he was a kid, and we traveled by car, he would never allow us to turn on the radio because he wanted to sing in the car and entertain us," he added. Vidi laughed aloud when he heard this comment. Back then, even until high school, he said, he had never thought about becoming a singer. "Honestly, I never imagined myself being a professional singer," said the engineering student at Pelita Harapan University. "I just love to sing., it's my biggest hobby, but I always thought I wanted to be a doctor because I also love studying science." But later on, Vidi said, many spotted his talent and convinced him he should try his luck in showbiz. "But I took it slowly," he said. "For example, when I came up with ‘Nuansa Bening', which is actually an old song, I carefully studied it, adjusting it to my personality. "I didn't just sing it as it is. I sang it with my own ‘color', pretending I was the first one to sing it," he added. Although he finally made it to the top, Vidi said he still held onto another dream for his future. "I of course want to continue singing," he said. "But hopefully, someday, I can run my own business or something." What kind of business? "Well, I can't say for now," he smiled. "Let's just see!"http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/01/27/vidi-aldiano-looking-bright-side.html